Once Upon a Clifftop
by Lola Sveroski
Summary: SPOILER. Do not read unless you've read FANG. Max and Fang meet on top of the cliff twenty years later. Almost all dialogue, kind of experimentational. Tell me how ya like it...?


"You came back."

"I said I would."

"The world is still in one piece."

"Well done."

"You never seemed like the type to say well done."

"I just did."

"Whatever."

"So…"

"Can we make this quick? I've got three hungry little bird-kids at home waiting for food."

"What? At last count I thought there were four."

"No. Maddy, Kramer, and Azreal. That makes three."

"You have kids?"

"I started my own flock. It was best for everyone._._"

"And what about… you know, _him?"_

"Dylan?"

"Yeah… _him._"

"Dyl's fine. He's been fine. Everything's been fine for the past _twenty years. _God, I still can't believe you left us."

"I had to do what was best for everyone."

"Yeah, whatever."

"I _said _you were everything to me, and that I just couldn't put the rest of the world at risk."

"You never cared about what _I _wanted."

"I never said that."

"Sometimes it's what you don't say that hurts the most. You never said that you wanted me with you. You never said that you wanted my opinion."

"I didn't want your opinion. I knew you'd convince me to stay, and that's the last thing I ever wanted."

"You didn't want to be with me."

"I did. I really did, but there's no justification in shoving the world into harm's way just to get some face time."

"Nice, Fang. Nice."

"How's the rest of the flock been?"

"Okay, I guess. Angel's got her own little mini-flock of four. She's a good leader but I think she's learned a lot about when to keep quiet and when to take charge. Nudge is employed at some big fashion label. Gazzy and Iggy both work for NASA. I'm… still me. Just kinda training my own little warriors."

"Bird kids still being pumped out by the dozens?"

"They have been for a while now."

"I see."

"You never seemed scholarly enough to say 'I see' before."

"I'm different now, Max. Different."

"Still hooking up with redheaded humans?"

"…"

"You are, aren't you?"

"…"

"Fang!"

"No, I just can't believe you brought that up! It was, what, twenty-one years ago?"

"You have. I can tell. Men are such bad liars."

"Are not!"

"Are too!"

"Are not!"

"Do you really want to argue with me about this?"

"I hated being on the receiving end of your rage."

"What is with you? You're so uptight!"

"Twenty years of living on the run does that to a person."

"Yeah, really some big sacrifice."

"It was!"

"You _left. _You were just trying to escape the burden of saving the world."

"Was not!"

"I love you."

"I love you too. And I love the rest of the flock. Which is why I had to leave."

"You didn't _have _to do anything!"

"Max, Max, don't cry."

"I have a right to cry if I want to c-c-c-cry!"

"Max, it'll all be okay."

"Yeah. It was okay before. It'll be okay now. _Without _you."

"Without me?"

"You just caused me too much pain. I'm sorry Fang, but it's my turn to turn my back on _you._"

"Hey now, don't be rash."

"Where was Mr. Don't-Be-Rash twenty years ago?"

"In cognito."

"Hardy har har. Funny, Fang."

"Ah, sarcasm. Just gotta love that sarcasm."

"Get used to it."

"I am used to it, Maximum."

"You did _not _just pull the full name card."

"I did just pull the full name card."

"Jerk. The least you could do is give me something to work with other than just four letters."

"I win."

"I wasn't aware that this was a contest."

"It is now."

"Jerk."

"So…"

"So…"

"Are you going to tell me you love me or not?"

"I love you."

"Much better Four Letter Freak."

"You need to work on the comebacks."

"I've been working on the comebacks for twenty years."

"Not doing you very much good then, is it?"

"I guess not."

"…"

"What have you been doing for the past twenty years anyways?"

"Oh, I've just been… around."

"Around?"

"Europe, Africa, South America, Australia… No biggy."

"You've traveled around the globe and yet it's 'no biggy'? I've been stuck caring for the flock!"

"_Stuck _caring for the flock?"

"Not stuck, exactly but…"

"But what?"

"But I can honestly say that there are times when I would've rather been somewhere else. Like Europe or Africa or South America or Australia."

"It hasn't been a big joy ride for me, either."

"Oh yeah? What, did you mess up your perfect hair?"

"No, my hair was fine."

"You completely just let my quip fly over your head, didn't you?"

"I suppose I did."

"Jerk. Smug, arrogant, cocky jerk."

"Which is why we've always been perfect for each other."

"I guess."

"I thought you loved me thiiiiis much."

"Shut up, jerk. That was a long time ago and I was all jacked up on loopy gas."

"You still love me thiiiiiis much, don't you?"

"Yes."

"The Max I remember didn't blush like that."

"The Max you remember has changed. A lot."

"The Max I remember would've already been kissing me right now."

"The Max you remember didn't have to deal with you leaving."

"The Max I remember wouldn't have given up _that _easy."

"This Max did."

"You're crying again."

"…"

"I seem to have that effect on you."

"…"

"Here, tissue…?"

"Th-thanks."

"Sure thing."

"…"

"Man, this is awkward. Fifteen years ago I thought I had our conversation all planned out."

"This is so screwed up."

"I wish I didn't have to leave."

"I wish everything was back to the way it was before."

"I wish you still loved me thiiiiis much."

"Watch it, punk."

"Ow. The Max I remember probably couldn't punch that hard either."

"The Fang I remember has changed, and so has the Max you remember. And… nothing can ever be the same as it was before. And… I wish I still loved you much too, but… You left, and I just can't feel that love anymore."

"I guess this is goodbye. Again."

"Again. I guess I'll… see you around."

"Yeah. Goodbye, Max."

"Um… goodbye."

"Max, I know you don't know it, but I still love you thiiiiis much."

She heard his whisper, the whisper that was obviously only meant for his ears. "I know, Fang, I know," she breathed as she walked away.


End file.
